


Consolation

by SaraJaye



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Defiant Mai, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Romance, The Unfavorite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 18:50:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I didn't come here to see Azula," she said. "I came to see <i>you.</i>"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consolation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosabelle](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=rosabelle).



Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered. What good was getting better at firebending if Azula was always going to be better than him? What good was trying to please Father if Father was just going to scold him for doing this or that wrong?

He'd trained for weeks with Uncle Iroh to master a difficult trick and he'd been so proud of himself until Azula did the very same trick without even trying. He'd shown Father and all Father had said was _next time, back straighter_ before praising Azula for...something. He'd stopped listening and walked away in humiliation.

Ever since Mother left it seemed like life was out to get him more and more. Father was the Fire Lord now and had the perfect excuse to ignore him, while Azula just became nastier and nastier with nobody there to stop her. Uncle Iroh had thrown himself into meditation and tea, caring little to get involved in family matters except to train Zuko.

_Mother, Lu Ten...if you were still here, things wouldn't be this bad._

"Hey." Zuko's head snapped up from the book he was barely reading. Mai stood in the doorway, hands folded in front of her as she bowed slightly, and his spirits lifted slightly. Zuko always liked when Mai came to visit, even if he only got to talk to her a few minutes before Azula dragged her and Ty Lee off someplace. "Azula's talking to our father in the throne room."

"I didn't come to see her." Mai sat down on the chaise beside him. "I wanted to see you." Zuko blinked.

"Me?"

"Yeah. Is something wrong with that?" Her eyes narrowed. "Just because I'm your sister's friend doesn't mean _we_ can't be friends, too."

" _I_ agree, but Azula doesn't. And Azula _always_ gets her way," Zuko sighed. Mai rolled her eyes and tossed a pigtail over her shoulder.

"Who cares what _Azula_ thinks? She's so bossy, sometimes I get sick of her. And it's her fault we tripped and fell in the fountain that time, remember? I wanna be with _you_ , Zuko." She smiled. "Besides, from the way I've heard things are going it sounds like you could use the company." Zuko blushed a little. Mai could be sour and gloomy, but she'd always been really nice to him even when Azula was looking. Her parents tried to keep her quiet, but she had a mind of her own anyway. It was hard not to like someone like her.

"You're right," he said. "Things are awful now that Father's the Fire Lord. He never pays any attention to me except to scold me...and I miss my mother and Lu Ten a lot. I wish they were still here."

"I know." Mai put her hand over his. "I'd say something comforting, but...you know. I'm no good at that." Zuko smiled a little, leaning closer to her.

"It's okay. You're helping just by being here," he said. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away for a moment, before turning back to him with a smile.

"I'll always be here."


End file.
